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Below you will find
information on the incredible
variety of types, styles, species
and grades that are available to you
as you make your wood floor
decision. Please scroll down
to the area of interest or skip
ahead by clicking on one of the
links below.
Types & Styles
Wood floors come in a wide
range of types and styles.
Finished, unfinished, solid, strip
and plank are just a few of the
options.
Choosing the type
and/or style that is best for you is
an important decision. The
professionals at Quality Floor
Company can go over the pros and
cons of each and help you make the
right decision for you and your
home. Below is a brief description
of each of the types and styles.
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Types of Wood Floors |
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Solid
Flooring
All wood flooring,
regardless of width or
length, that is one piece of
wood from top to bottom is
considered solid flooring.
Solid flooring gives you a
great opportunity for
customization. Your choice
of species, stains and
finishes all contribute to
the personalization of a
solid floor. This is an
excellent choice in most
areas of a home on the
ground level or above.
Engineered Flooring
This wood flooring product
consists of layers of wood
pressed together, with the
grains running in different
directions. It is available
in 3 and 5 ply. Engineered
flooring is perfect for
those areas of the house
where solid wood flooring
may not be suitable, such as
basements, kitchens, powder
rooms, and utility rooms.
Because the grains run in
different directions, it is
more dimensionally stable
than solid wood.
Acrylic
Impregnated floors
Acrylic Impregnated floors
is a process where acrylics
are injected into the wood
itself, creating a
super-hard, extremely
durable floor. This type of
flooring is often used in
commercial installations,
like shopping malls and
restaurants, however, they
are right at home in busy
households as well.
Types in Rooms (Solid and
Engineered)
Advances in wood flooring
during the past few years
mean that you now can have
wood flooring anywhere in
your home or business. Where
you want to put it, however,
will determine the type of
wood flooring you can use.
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Styles
of Wood Floors
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Strip
flooring
Strip flooring is linear
flooring that is usually 2
1/4", 1 1/2", or 3 1/4"
wide. It creates a linear
effect in a room often
promoting the illusion of a
larger space.
Plank
flooring
Plank flooring is also
linear, however, it is wider
in width. Common widths of
plank flooring are 3", 4",
5", and 6".
Parquet
flooring
Parquet flooring is a series
of wood flooring pieces that
create a geometric design.
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Species
Today's wood floors come in more
than 50 species, both domestic and
exotic, spanning the spectrum of
color options, hardness, and price
ranges. No matter what the look you
want to achieve, there are a variety
of species to meet your needs. Click
here to see the wide variety of
species available.
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Grades
The appearance of the wood
determines its "grade." All grades
are equally strong and serviceable,
but each affords you a different
look.
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Clear
Clear wood is free of defects,
though it may have minor
imperfections. |
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Select
Select wood is almost clear, but
contains some natural
characteristics such as knots and
color variations. |
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Common
Common wood (No. 1 and No. 2) has
more natural characteristics such as
knots and color variations than
either clear or select grades, and
often is chosen because of these
natural features and the character
they bring to a room. No. 1 Common
has a variegated appearance, light
and dark colors, knots, flags and
wormholes. No 2 Common is rustic in
appearance and emphasize all wood
characteristics of the species. |
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First
First grade wood has the best
appearance, natural color variations
and limited character marks. |
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Second
Second grade wood is variegated in
appearance with varying sound wood
characteristics of species. |
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Third
Third grade wood is rustic in
appearance allowing all wood
characteristics of the species.
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Cuts
The angle at which a board is cut
determines how the finished product
looks. Wood flooring is either
plainsawn, quartersawn or riftsawn.
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Plainsawn
Plainsawn is the most common cut.
The board contains more variation
than the other two cuts because
grain patterns resulting from the
growth rings are more obvious. |
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Quartersawn
Quartersawing produces less board
feet per log than plainsawing and is
therefore more expensive.
Quartersawn wood twists and cups
less and wears more evenly. |
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Riftsawn
Riftsawn is similar to quartersawing,
but the cut is made at a slightly
different angle. |
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